Solid state switching power supplies for use with welding equipment are generally known. Both transistors and silicon controlled rectifiers (SCR) have been used for this purpose.
Switching transistors as is known, display significant turn on and turn off delay characteristics especially when used in high current applications. Hence, where high speed switching is desirable or necessary, these turn on and turn off delays can be substantial limiting factors.
Silicon controlled rectifiers, as is known, are easily turned on by an applied gate voltage but cannot be turned off by that gate voltage. Rather, some sort of commutation arrangement or applied alternating voltage must be utilized. In an alternating current environment, the SCRs can be readily turned off. However, in a DC environment, this poses more of a problem.
Thus, there continues to be a need for solid state high frequency switching supplies usable in high current environments which can also be switched at relatively high rates. Further, there continues to be a need for supplies that are readily usable in DC environments.